The Story of Her

2

"Do you ever leave your brother's side?"

Noah, a center on my brother's basketball team, had been bothering me for the last twenty minutes and I was very sick of him. 

"I usually do, just not with you around." I quipped. 

"Come on man, give it up," my brother said, laughing at his friend's antics, "she doesn't want you."

Malik was never the type to be ridiculously protective over me, but people tended to know when they had crossed the line with him. Noah clearly had not crossed that line yet. 

I mean I won't lie, Noah was cute. He was tall and dark skin, with the prettiest glowing skin and bright grey eyes.  He played for the football team and the basketball team, and his grades weren't horrible to my knowledge. I just did not have the energy to pay attention to boys.

"I have practice in twenty minutes. I'm leaving, bye Star." I said addressing my brother and grabbing my bag. 

As I walked away I smirked a little. Malik hated when I called him Star in front of his friends. He always said it made him sound like a girl. 

I pulled out my phone while walking to the gym to help some of the girls set up for practice. I contemplated checking social media, but that would only remind me of my old life. I opened my music app instead, and started playing "Shot Clock" by Ella Mai. 

I walked into the gym, and noticed that our mats were already pulled out and some girls were already scattered around stretching. I shrugged my shoulders and tugged off my joggers to reveal my nike pros that were pretty close to the love of my life. 

I had just started to really get into my stretching, when I heard a bunch of fast paced mumbling. I looked up to see Alicia, one of the few black girls on my cheer squad, rambling excitedly to me about something. 

"Are you going to homecoming?" She blurted when I finally pulled my earphones out. 

"No? I don't have anyone to go with. I obviously have to be at the game but I think I'll honestly just go home after. Why?"

"I heard a rumor that the Noah Hayes is going to ask you!" She exclaimed excitedly. 

"What's so special about the Noah Hayes?" I asked mockingly. 

"Girl have you seen him?" Emma Walker, another girl from my cheer squad joined in. 

"Yes I've seen him. He plays with my brother."

"Speaking of Malik..."

"I have no control over who that boy asks to hoco Emma." I cut her off. 

I knew Emma thought my brother was cute. Not many girls didn't. It wasn't the first time I had been asked for intel on who he was asking to homecoming.  If these girls lived with him for twenty-four hours though, I swear they'd change their minds. 

"Ladies! First pyramid!" Coach Preston yelled, stopping the homecoming chatter, much to my relief. 

I found my favorite basing partner, Jackson Wilder, and got ready to get to work. 

---------

Two hours, and gallons of sweat later, I was on my way home from practice.  

I turned off my car and quickly headed into the house, not wanting to have to race my brother to the showers. 

"Star-star! Is that you?" Our grandmother yelled from her bedroom where she was probably needed opinions on the sweater she was knitting.

I cast a playful grin at my brother. "You've been summoned Star-star. Shower is mine." I said, giggling with glee. 

After my peaceful shower, I settled down into my bed and started on my homework. Although I was in cheer, my parents always instilled in us that our grades were important, and that's just something that never really went away.

About an hour later, my grandmother called out again, this time for me. "Nova, come here dear."

"What's up Nana?" I replied, going into the living room where she was posted. 

"I need you to help me with these bills. I can't seem to figure out the website for it." She said to me, never looking up from her computer screen. 

"It's okay Nana, I'll take care of it tonight."

"Okay well remember they have to be paid before the end of the week." 

"I'll remember Nana. I promise."

Suddenly she checked her watch. 

"You kids have me up later and later every night. I'm going to bed." She said, rather abruptly if I might add. 

Malik walked in the room smiling, "Its early Nana."

"For you." She huffed, shuffling back to her room in her fluffy blanket and slippers. 

Malik laughed, "I guess its just me and you Nova." 

 In reality it was just me though, as he had already unplugged his PS4 controller, and turned the console on. 

"So I heard Noah is planning on asking me to homecoming."

"You heard what you heard."

"Is it true Malik?"

"Oh so all I have to do to get you to use my real name?"

"Malik I will hurt you." I deadpanned.

"Okay, okay. I heard from some of the other guys that he wants to ask you but it's really none of my business."

I rolled my eyes and went back to figuring out how to pay my grandmothers light bill.  

"So what's the word on me, Nova."

"Emma wants you, but so does half of the cheer squad."

"Good to know." He said in the dumbest voice I have ever heard. 

"How's practice going for you?" I quizzed, trying to pry his attention away from the game.

"Nonexiestant." He replied, never looking away from the screen. 

And that's when I knew, I had lost my brother to the expansive and ever entertaining world of GTA.